What black magic is at work here

z31maniac said:

I have a DI, turbo car. Even if it had an oil life monitor, it would still get fresh Amsoil every 5k. 

 

I'm of the opinion that it doesn't damage the car to change the oil too often. Sure, it may cost a little more money, but it's not hurting anything else.

I have a DI turbo car too.  I don't know if it has an oil life monitor.  I tried looking for reset instructions, but nothing matched up to my model year.

The manual still specifies 3k miles for 'severe duty', which my driving qualifies as.

I love the "maintenance minder" on our odyssey. Interesting to learn how it works. It's great because it is primarily an oil life monitor, but when an oil change comes due, it automatically lumps in other recommended maintenance at the same time. Like rotate tires, change coolant, change transmission fluid, inspect/replace belts, air filter, etc. Basically just does the complicated grid that exists in the back of the owners manual for you, and it automatically lines each item up with the closest oil change. Nice!

NickD said:

z31maniac said:

I have a DI, turbo car. Even if it had an oil life monitor, it would still get fresh Amsoil every 5k. 

 

I'm of the opinion that it doesn't damage the car to change the oil too often. Sure, it may cost a little more money, but it's not hurting anything else.

Same here. It costs me about $115 to have my Indy guy change the oil. It took me January '18 to December '18 to hit 4600 miles, but I went ahead and changed because I didn't want it to be in the car longer than a year.

Curtis said:

pinchvalve said:

The reminder in my wife's Buick can be manually reset.  I haven't read the Owner's Manual, but if they tell you to do it each time you get the oil changed it probably just reminds you at 3000 miles. More of an idiot light than an actual sensor.  

If it's the same as other GMs, its KOEO and mash the accelerator 4 times.  The light should blink a couple times and then go off.  There is an algorithm that sets the light.  More than just mileage, but as has been discussed it doesn't take into account if you're using Mobil1 or Dollar General oil, the amount of blowby, the climate and road conditions, etc.  Big difference if you're using Amsoil in Los Angeles versus using Quaker State on dirt roads in Minnesota.

My Buick is a lot simpler - you push a select button until the oil life indicator is displayed, then hold down the Reset key until the oil life goes back to 100%.

The one in the Fiesta is ridiculous.   10k miles/one year, regardless.  afaik it can only be reset when on.

In reply to MadScientistMatt :

Wait, you don't even have to change the oil, just press a button and the life goes back to 100%, technology is wonderful. 

My Pathfinder has four separate reminders that are manually set and reset, no way to add a description though.  I do use one of them.

Some of them are real fun too reset. I know I've seen cartridge filters falling apart in the housing with 30%+ left on some monitors. I dont trust them at all, then again I run 5k on full synthetic in my wifes car and 2500/3k on rotella conventional in mine. 

morello159 said:

My 2018 F150 manual basically states "Use the oil life monitor OR 10k miles OR 1 year, whichever comes first." Running full synthetic oil I'm not terribly concerned by that. My oil life is currently reading 34% with 6800 miles on this oil change. Headed for a 10k oil change at that rate.

It also recommends checking the oil level once a month.

I have the same truck, light never came in by the time I chickened

out at 11,500....

This is not even cutting edge anymore.  It’s likely that some, if not in your car then a heavy truck fleet where maintenance adds a lot of value for the customer, can use a “digital twin” of your engine to determine all sorts of stuff.  Up to and including telling you when something will fail before it actually does.  It’s able to do this because the manufacturers have millions of hours of empirical data on which to build these mathematical models.  These digital twins.

 Under conditions X, Y, and Z when ambient temperature is above 59F, there is a 96% likelihood that your #3 rod bearing will fail within 5000 miles.  This is a gross oversimplification but you get the idea.

This technology is becoming prevalent in thermal power plants (those that burn stuff).  These machines (like internal combustion engines) are relatively easy to model because the manufacturers have taken literally tens of thousands of years of operating data and that leaves very few unknowns.  It also makes controlling fuel and air wicked fast and spot on because you know in advance how the machine will react.  No need to wait around scratching your ass for several milliseconds waiting on the feedback.  Emissions?  If the feedback doesn’t agree with the model then the sensor is likely bad.  Seriously.  It’s that good.

A man from my town had this idea about 25 years ago.  He started writing code in his garage, mortgaged his house, and couldn’t convince a single soul it would work.  Finally an oil company (Chevron maybe?) gave his product a shot.  He sold his company a couple years ago for half a billion.

I have a DI, turbo car with an oil life monitor, when it hits 20% life, that is right about 5K miles, so that's when it gets changed. The 2012 Camaro SS I had before would be at 45% life at 5K miles, it could easily go 7500 miles per oil change. It also had 8 quarts of oil in it, that helped too.

FWIW, even the dealerships around here will tell you to change the oil when the monitor hits 30%.

Well this car is DI and the first thing I’ve ever bought new. I changed the oil first at 2500 because new engine and it can’t hurt. Just did it again today at 11000 and the gauge said 30%. I guess it still runs.